Kirsch is considered to be a fruit liqueur that tastes of almond and cherry, but with some mild bitter undertone. It gives out a cherry aroma that can be easily identified. It is often used in Black Forest gateau, trifle, fondue, clafoutis, cocktails, etc.
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Find your Perfect Substitute for Kirsch Liqueur
It could be that you are not much fond of alcohol or do want wish to invest in an expensive liquor bottle.
There are substitutes for kirsch that can be made with common ingredients. Your guests will not be aware of the switch.
Know the available substitutes for Kirsch
You can your best substitute for Kirsch liqueur below.. They are Cherries & vodka, Cherry juice, Dry white wine, Fruit brandy, Kriek Lambic, Liqueur de Mirabelle, and Cherry Preserve.
List of alternatives
Cherries & Vodka:
Take an immersion blender and mix frozen/dried cherries along with vodka until smooth. It is a cheaper option when compared to purchasing a kirsch bottle. You can choose a miniature vodka bottle, which is just perfect for most recipes.
Cherries and vodka are excellent backup options and quite suitable for several baking applications. It is also used to prepare cheese fondue. The alcohol content of the kirsch improves the final texture since it smoothens cheese and enhances the flavor. Cherries and vodka offer similar results.
Cherry juice:
This is an amazing alternative if you want to avoid alcohol and desire cherry taste in cakes like kugelhopf and other desserts. Reduce added sugar when you substitute cherry juice for Kirsch liqueur.
Other juice varieties to consider are apple, raspberry, pomegranate and black currant. But using these other fruit juices will also mean moving away from alcohol and cherry flavor profile. Again if you do not favor cherry, then these are good options to use. Citrus juices are not recommended.
Dry white wine:
For desserts and baking, white wine is not a suitable ingredient. But, it can prove to be a good substitute in fondue. Much of wine flavor is likely to be absorbed by cheese, and wine can improve the texture of a fondue.
Fruit brandy:
They are ideal substitute alternatives for desserts like fruit tart or trifle. You can work with an apple or blueberry brandy flavor. Although you will not derive kirsch’s signature chery flavor, the alcohol will still be there, and the flavor will be excellent, if not an exact match.
Kriek Lambic:
A Belgian beer, Kriek Lambic is prepared by fermenting sour cherries with limbic. It can be used in cheese fondue as a replacement.
Liqueur de Mirabelle:
Produced in France, this liqueur is expensive. It can be a wonderful replacement for Kirsch. Created from Mirabelle plums, this liqueur is much sweeter when compared to Kirsch. It is ideal for Black Forest gateau, cherries jubilee and trifles. It also works fabulously in Rose cocktails. If you have Liqueur de Mirabelle on hand, it makes a fabulous substitute for Kirsch liqueur.
Cherry Preserve:
This tasty option is used for preparing desserts and baking, especially if alcohol is not desired in the dish. Add some boiling water if necessary to create your dessired consistency.
Related: Substitute for Mirin and Sake
F.A.Q
What kind of alcohol is Kirsch?
Brandy. Kirsch is commonly referred to as cherry brandy.
How much does a bottle of kirsch cost?
The lower range of Kirsch goes for around 30 dollars. However, the average range is from 40-50 dollars.
